Saturday, September 6, 2014

Warstorm – Goatspel

Warstorm is another thrash band hailing
from the subgenre’s apparent new capital, Italy. “Goatspel” is their first
full-length album, and to my surprise, it is not being released through
Punishment 18 Records; instead, the band opted to use Earthquake Terror Noise as a label. This album takes a bit of a different approach from some
of the band’s Italian counterparts. With only 6 tracks, it is a short release,
but it also features an epic in the 10-minute title track. Despite this
difference, Warstorm doesn’t sound particularly different from any other thrash
band out there right now. They seamlessly switch tempos as they add and then
remove aggression at will. The opening song, “Checkmate For Mankind” has a section with
clean guitars that builds into a melodic guitar solo. With that in mind, the
band isn’t going warp speed at every second of the album. One would think that
would help the band stand out a bit more, but when all is said and done,
“Goatspel” doesn’t really leave a lasting impact. Even the title track sounds
more like 9 minutes of straight thrashing (after a short intro) rather than
something a bit more unique, though there is a bit of atmosphere at the end.

If you don’t mind relatively predictable
songwriting, there is a lot to enjoy here. The vocals are the standard Italian
style: a somewhat monotone thrash grunt, but with a stereotypical Italian
accent. This sound is particularly effective, though it might be starting to
wear a little bit thin. These singers don’t all necessarily sound the same
though. This is evident on “Cursed”, which features an appearance from Hyades’
singer. The two vocalists manage to utilize some enjoyable interplay between
their lines, and it is enough to make this one of the stronger cuts on the
album. Additionally, there is no shortage of riffs on “Goatspel”, though they
primarily hearken back to Exodus rather than the more aggressive death/thrash
bands or the sloppy black/thrash groups. The bass playing and drumming are both
competent, though neither particularly stands out. Both play an excellent
supporting role, choosing not to go over the top with fills, and instead
letting the guitars take the lead. When it comes to the production, things are,
once again, as you would expect. This album features a good guitar tone, though
nothing rivaling the best in metal. None of the instruments need to fight for
attention, and they all sound decent at worst.

As someone who has heard a lot (almost too
much) Italian thrash, I can assure you that Warstorm are nowhere near the
bottom of the barrel. There are quite a few bands I enjoy more, particularly
because of their attention to creating memorable songs, but Warstorm still does
an admirable job in bringing the riffs. If you are already familiar with
Hyades, Game Over, and Omnivore, and want more, this band is sure to satisfy
your cravings for thrash.